Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
.
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-`-~'1
Deser ~:l.on
P~PE~I~CI~INE CI.(~T~-IING l~l~.VING
~.
A SURFI~Cl~ CO~IPRISI~G A BILA'rE7~LLY
STAGGERE71~ ARI~hY OF WIC~ER~ SKET-I.IKl.;. CAVITIES
~` ~ .
. Technical Field
-~ This invention rela~es to papermachine clothing including
. formin~ wires, backing wires, and drying and imprin~ing
fabrics for use on single wire papermachines as well as the
-~ 5 newer breeds of multiple wire an~f or multiple layering
papermachines. Particular emphasis is direc~ed to imprinting
- abrics ~or producing paper characterized by a~ array of
bilaterally staggered uncompressed zones which are discretely
. perimetrically enclosed by compacted picke~-like- Lineaments.
. lQ Such paperj particularly after being creped is characterized
`~i by relatively high bulk; an improved CD:MD stretch:ratio;
. ~ reduced flexural ~igidity; and improved burst to total
~~ tensile s.trength ra-tio.
~ .~
~ Background Art
~ ` ~
``~ 15 A soft, absorbent, wet-laid imprinted creped paper
which is characterized by alternately spaced un~roken rldgeg
of uncompressed ibers and troughs of compressed fibers,
which ridges an~ troughs extend in the cross-r.lachine-direction
(hereina~ter CD) is disclosed in 7J. S . Patent .~lo. 3,301,74G
- ~0 which issued January 31, 1967 to I.. H. Sanford et al., as
well as a process for making such paper. The San~ord et al.
patent e~.pressly discloses the use o imprinting fabrics
~ which may be of square or diagonal weave, as well as twi.lled
-- and semi-twilled fabrics~.
^~ 25 Another soft, absorbent wet-laid imprinted creped paper
-~ which is characterized by discrete CD aligned uncompressed ~:
zones or pillows i~ disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,974,025
.
... 2
;~ !
which issued August 10, 1976 to Peter G. Ayers, and a process
~3~ for making such paper is disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
. 3,905,863 which .issued Scptember 16, 1975 to Peter G. Ayers.
These patents disclose imprinting the paper with an imprint-
ing pattern from the back side of a semi-twill wovPn :
~;~ imprinting abric which has been heat-set and abraded to
.'~A provide monopIanar (coplanar) Elat-faced knuckles.
' `. '!,
`~ As compared to the paper characterized by unbroken
uncompressed CD ridges of San~ord et al., and the paper
~ 10 characterized by CD aligned uncompressed zones of Ayers, the
`1 paper provided through the use of imprinting fabrics embodying
the present invention is characterized by an array of
uncompressed zones o fibers which are disposed in staggered
.- relation in bsth the CD and the ~achine direction ~herein-
` 15 after MD), and which zones are perimetrically enclosed by
`~ picket-like lineaments comprising alternately spaced regions
~`~ of compressed and uncompressed fibers; that is, by discontinuous
rather than unbroken or continuous lines of compression.
~ .
`;~ An absorbent pad of air-laid fibers ~-hich is pattern
densified essentially only by means of compression to
provide a bilaterally staggered array of generally circular
uncompressed tufts is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,908,659
which issued September 30, 1975 to Bernard Martin Wehrmeyer~
et al~ As compared to this dry-laid structure having
continuous lines of compression, the paper provided through
the use o imprinting fabrics embodying:the present invention
is wet-laid, and has discontinuous lines/lineaments of
compression/imprin~ing which are:imparted to the paper prior
to its final drying. The paper may also be creped after
being imprinted and dried.
~ . .
A fragmentary view of a 5-shed satin weave fabric
having a non-numerically~-consecutive warp-pi.ck-sequence (1,
4, 2, 5, 3) is shown in Figure 3-7, page 22, of the book
.
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titled P~__n.lchine Felts ancl Fabrics, copyrighted by Albany
International Corporation, 1976; Library of Congress ~at.
Card No. 76-41647. Also, wet~end fabrics (commonly referred
to as "wires" albeit comprising thermoplastic filaments
.. .
rather than metal wire) of this weave are commercially
~" available from Appleton Wire Works Corp., Appleton, Wisconsin.
~ ~owever, the book reference does not disclose or suggestsuch a woven fabric which is finished as by stressing and
heat setting to provide an array of coplanar top-surface-
-~ 10 plane crossovers of both warp and shute filaments and aninterspersed array of sub-top-surace crossovers distributed
tilroughout the fabric. Moreover, the use of such a fabric
-`,' as an imprinting fabric is not disclosed and, thereore,
~- this reference does not teach the use of such a fabric to
achieve a particular objective with respect to the structure
of a paper sheet imprinted thereby.
~ ~ .
`~ U.S. Patent ~o. 3,~73,566 which issued October 21, 1969
to J. S. Amneus teaches the weaving and heat treating o~
polyester fabrics to provide warp and shute knuckles having
equal heights; that is coplanar top surfaces.
_, .
U.S. Patent No. 3,573,164 which issued March 30, 1971
~ to N. D. Friedberg and Charles L~ Wosaba II discloses
abrading high portions of filament crossovers to provide
flat-faced coplanar knuckles as shown in Figures~3 and 4
25 thereof. Such flat-faced coplanar knuckles are incorporated
in the heat-set imprinting abrics disclosed in the ~yers'
patents discussed hereinabove.
As compared to the background art, the present invention
provides fabrics which, when used as imprinting fabrics, are
-~ 30 suitable or use in a papermaking machine to make a soft,
absorbent wet-laid sheet of paper which is characterized by
an array of uncompressed andjor uncompacted zones which
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~ 2
zones are disposed in staggered relation ~n both the machine
dire~tion and the cross-machine direction and which zones
are perimetrically enclosed by imprinting imparte~ (l.e.,
compacted) picket-like discontinuous lineaments. When
creped, this paper provides relatively high bulk; an improved
CD:MD stretch ratio; reduced CD flexural rigidity which is
believed to impute an increased subjectively ascertainable
softness impression; and improved burst to total tensile
strength ratio. Moreover, each fabric embodiment of the
present invention is characterized by having coplanar top
surfaces of both warp and shute filament crossovers and by
having sub-top-surface crossovers disposed throughout the
~ fabric in a predetermined pattern so that a sub~array of one
or more sub-top-surface crossovers is perimetrically enclosed
by portions of the coplanar warp and shu~e crossovers. Each
such network or grouping of coplanar crossovers and sub-top-
surface crossovers and the intermediate spans of filaments
form, in the nature of wicker-like baskets, concave depressions
or wicker-basket-like cavities in the top surace of the
fabric in each of which cavities a zone of an embryonic
paper web can ~e accommodated without substantial compression
or compaction while the pattern of coplanar crossovers is
imprinted on the embryonic paper web. The cavities are
arrayed in staggered relation in both the machine direction
and the cross-machine direction.
Disclosure Of The Invention
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention,
~here is provided a loop of fabric for use on a papermaklng -~
machine which comprises at least two sets o filament~
which, in each set, are generally parallel to each other and
which sets are relatively steeply angularly related to each
other. This is conventionally orthogonal but it is not
intended to thereby limit the present invention. The filament~
; are so woven and ~3mplementarily serpentinely configured in
,
. . . ....................... . .
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at least the Z-direction (the thic~ness of the ~abric) to
provide a first grouping or array of coplanar top-surface-
plane crossovers of both se~s of filaments; and a predetermined
second grouping or array of sub-top-surface crossovers.
The arrays are interspersed so tha~ portions of the top-
surface-plane crossovers define an array of wicker-basket-
like cavities in the top surface of the fabric which cavities
are disposed in a sufficien~ly staggered relation in both
the machine direction (MD) and the cross-machine direction (CD),
to preclude adjacent said cavities being alignea ln either the
machine direction or the cross-machine direction and so that
each cavity spans at least one sub-~op-surface crossover.
The cavities are discretely perimetrically enclos~d in the
plan view by a picket-like-lineament comprising portions of
a plurality of ~he top-surfaee plane crossovers. The loop
of fabric may comprise heat set monofilamen~s of thermoplastic
material; the top surfaces of the coplanar top-surface-plane
crossovers may be monoplanar flat surfaces. Specific
embodiments of the invention include satin weaves as well as
hybrid weaves of five or greater sheds, and mesh counts of from
about 10 X 10 to about 120 X 120 filaments per inch (4 X 4
to about 47 X 47 per centimeter) although the preferred
range of mesh counts is from about 18 by 16 to about 45 by
38 filaments per inch ~9 X 8 to about 18 X 15 per centimeter).
B-L-ief Description Of The Dxawings
While the claims hereof particularly point out and
distinctly claim the suhJect matter of the present invention,
it is believed the invention will be better understood in
view of the follo~ing detailed description of the invention
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which
corresponding features of the several views are identically
designated, and in which:
Figure 1 is an enlarged scale, fragmentary plan view o~
a hybrid 5-shed fabric for use on a papexmachine which
fabric is a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
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Figures 2 an~ 3 are fragmen~ary sectional views taken
along lines 2-2 and 3-3, respcctively, of Fi.gure 1.
Figure 4 is an enlarged scale fragmentary plan view of
a hybrid 7-shed fabric which is an alternate embodiment of
the present invention.
Figure 5 is an enlarged scale, fragmentary plan view of
a hybrid 10-shed fabric which is another alternate embodiment
of the present invention.
Figure 6 is an enlarged scale, fragmentary plan view of
a hybrid 17-shed fabric which is yet another alternate
embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 (located Ln the second sheet of drawings, with Figures 2 and 3)
is an enlarged scale, fra~ ~y plan view of a 5-shed satin weave fabric
which has been wDven by numerically oonsecutively picking the warp fil~ts
15 on the lcom.
Figure 8 is an enlarged scale, ragmentary plan view oE
a 5-shed satin weave imprinting fabric which has been woven
by picking the warps in a non~numerically-consecutive sequence,
to wit: 1, 3, 5, 2, 4.
Figures 9 and 10 are fragmentary sectional views ~aken
along lines 9-9 and 10-10, respectively, of Figure 8. ::
~ :
Figure 11 is an enlarged scale, fragmentary view of a
sheet of paper which has had printed on it the knuckle
pattern of the imprinting fabrle shown in Figura 8.
Figures 12 through 15 a~e enlarged scale, fr~gmentary
~iews o 7-ched~ 7-shed, 8-shed, and 9-shed satin weave
imprinting fabrics, respectively, which are alternate
embodiments of the present invention and which have all -
been woven using non-numerically-consecuti~e warp-pick-
30 sequences. . `
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Detailed Description Of The Invention
Prior ~o ~escribing several alternate fabric embodiments
~ of the present invention, fabric weaving and nomenclature
-~ need to be reviewed.
~ . .
; 5 The terms warp and shute (or woof) are terms associated
with fabr~c on a Loom: warp threads or filaments extend
`~ longitudinally in a loom; and shute threads or filaments
extend in the lateral direction in a loom. Fabrics woven on
conventional looms are formed into loops by weaving the top
and bottom laterally extending edges of ~he fabric together
with warp ends which have been left extending from the top
. and bottom edges o~ the fabric. Thus, when such a fabric is
``` placed on a papermaking machine the warp filaments extend in
the machine~direction, and the shute filaments extend in the
cross-machine direction. Alternatively, endless loops of
fabric can be woven on suitable looms wherein the warps and
~`i shutes are so disposed that, when the loop is applied to a
~ papermaking machine, the warps extend in the cross-machine-
-~-Y direction and the shutes extend in the machine-direction.
Thus, the terms warp and shute are potentially ambiguous
with respect to machine-direction and cross-machine-direction.
~ Accordingly, the weaves described 'nereinbelow are, for
-~ convènience and simplicity, explained using warp and shute
with the intention that either can extend in either the MD
or CD on a papermaking machine. For that reason, neither MD
nor CD is indicated on the figures. Accordingly, in more
general terms, the fabrics comprise two sets~of substantially
parallel filaments which sets are generally disposed
substantially orthogonal with respect to each other.
Referring now to the figures in which like features are
identically designated, Figure 1 is a plan view of a
fragmentary piece of an imprinting fabric 140 of, for instance,
monofilament polyester ! which is a preferred embodiment of
the present invention. Fabric 140 is a five-shed hybrid
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weave whicll compriscs sets of warps 141-1 through 141-5 and
sets of shutes 142-1 through 142-5, and which fabric has
been woven by passing each shute over two and under three
warps, and in which each successive warp is passed over the
next two successive warps adjacent the pair of warps over
which the preceding shute passed. Thus, the shute knuckles
of adjacent shutes are o~fset from each other by the number
of filaments spanned by each shute knuckle. The abric has
been stressed and heat treated to provide .coplanar cros overs
which have been abraded to become coplanar flat knuckles
143 and 144, and the stressing an~ heat treating have
precipi~ated, sub-~op-surface knuckles 145. Planchets 146a
through 146d cover four adjacent wicker-basket like cavities
- ` in the fabric which each spans one sub-top-surface knuckle ~-
145 and is perimetrically enclosed by a picket-like-lineament
comprising portions of adjacent coplanar knuckles 143 and
144. Such cavities are said to be isotropic because they
span equal numbers of warp and shute filarnents; one each in
fabric 140.
` : :
Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views taken along lines
2-~ and 3-3, respectively, of Figure 1. These figures
clearly show the heat se~, complementarily serpentinely
configured warp and shute filaments and the relative eleva-
tional dispositions of the knuckles 143, 144 and 145:
2S coplanar knuckles 143 and 144, and knuckle 145 being spaced
: subjacent the top surface plane defined by coplanar knuckles
~ 143 and 144. The elevational profile of one of the wicker~
basket-like cavities is best seen in Figure 3 and ~dentified ~ :
by designator 148. ~:
,
Still referring to Figure 1, the grouping of the our ~.
.~ cavity-shape planchets 146a through 146d clearly shows that . :~
the array of wicker-basket-like cavities of fabric 140 are ~:e -
sufficiently closely ~paced that the machine direction span
MDS of each cavity (a reference cavity) spans the machine
~ ;~
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., , ,- , , , , ' ~, ' ' -, ':
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. direction length L of the space interme~iate a longitudinally
~ spaced pair of cavities which pair is disposed la~erally
* adjacent the reference cavity, and the cavities of the array
.`-3~ are sufficiently closely spaced that the cross-machine-
direction span CDS of each cavity spans the cros.s-machine-
:~ direction width W of the space in~ermediate a laterally
-~ spaced pair of cavities which pair is disposed lon~itudinally
. adjacent the reference cavity. To~illustrate these spatial
.~' relations planchets 146a and 146c, Figure 1, are a pair o
; 10 longitudinally spaced planchets which pair is disposed
laterally adjacent planchet 146b, and planchets 146a and
146b are a pair of laterally spaced planchets which pair is
`` disposed longitudinally adjacent planchet 146d.. This degree
of overlapping relations tends to obviate M~ and CD tearing
~` 15 of paper imprinted by such fabrics, and such fabrics are
-_ hereby designated.fully overlapped bilaterally staggered
cavity-type imprinting fabrics.
. Still referring to Fabric 140, Figures 1 through 3, it
is apparent that the cavities represented by planchets 146
r~ ~Q are no~ ~holly fenced off from each other by adjacent portions
of coplanar crossovers 143 and 144. Indeed, because of the
~ Z-direction undulation of the filaments and the spaced
-~ relations of the crossovers 143 and 144, paper imprinted by
.~ such a fabric will be characterized by substantiaIly discrete
uncompressed zones which may be to some degree linked
together by small isthmuses o paper fibers which isthmuses
have been only partially compacted by the imprinting action.
Nonetheless, it is believed that each cavity represented by
a planchet 146: is substantially discretely perimetrically
30 enclosed by a picket-lilce-lineament of portions of adjacent
.c copIanar crossovers, and that each cavity is ~icker-basket-
like in configuration; its bottom being defined in part by a
`~ sub-array of one or more sub-top-surface crossovers 145.
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Figure 4 ls a plan view of a fra~men~ary piece of an
alternate imprinting fabric 150 which is an embodiment o~
~ the present invention. Fabric 150 is a seven-shed hybrid
-,~ weave which comprises se~s of warps 151-1 through 151-7 and
-. 5 shutes 152-1 through 152-7, and which fabric has been woven
with each shute alternately passing over ~hree and under
four warps. Also, each successive shute passes over the
next subset of three warps adjacent to the subset of three
-~ warps over which the preceding shute passed. Thus, the
knuckles of adjacent shutes are offset by the numb r of
shute filaments each knuckle spans. In a similar manner,
each warp knuckle is offset from the knuckle on adjacent
warps by the number of shute filaments spanned by each warp
-` filament knuckle. The warps and shutes have copIanar top-
surface-plane knuckles 153 and 154, respectively, and side-
by-side pairs of sub-top-surface knuckles 155. Planchets
-. 156 indicate the shape of the wicker-baske~-like cavities
. .-
~~ formed by the complex of coplanar top-sur~ace-plane knuckles
and sub-top-surface knuckles, which cavities each~s~ans two
adjacent sub-~op-surface knuckles 155.
_ Figures 5 and 6 are plan views of fragmentary pieces of
~ other alternate embodiment imprin~ing fabrics 160 and 170
`` which provide isotropic CaJities which span sub-arrays o~
~, two-by-two and three-by-three sub-top-surfàce knuckles 165
and 175, respectively. These cavities are indicated by
planchets 166 of Figure 5, and 176 of Figure 6. More
specificaLly, ~abric~160, Figure 21, is a ten-shed~hy~rid ~ -
~eave which comprises sets~of warps 161-1 through 161-lO and
- sets of shutes 162-1 through 162-10, and are woven to provide
. 30 equal length, warp and shute knuckles 163 and 164, respec-
tively. Fabric 160 is so woven that the shute knuckles 164
-- of adjacent shutes 162 are o~fset by the number of filaments
~` spanned by each knuckle, and each pair of adjacent warp
knuckles are offset by the number of shu~es spanned by each~
` ` 35 warp knuckle. In the same general manner, fabric 170 comprises
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3 sets of warp ~ilaments 171-1 through 171-17 and sets of
shute filaments 172-1 ~hrough 172-17. The fabric is woven
in a four over, thirteen under mode to provide coplanar
warp knuckles 173 and shute knuckles 174 of equal lengths;
- 5 each spanning four filamen~s of the other set.
` Prior to describing several alternate embodiment satin
-- weave fabrics, it is desirable to preview the fact that ~he
~ bilaterally staggered relation of their respective arrays of
```~t wicker-baske~~like cavities results from non-numerically-
10 consecutive warp-pick-sequences. The fabric 180, Figure 7,
is included to illustrate that a numerically-consecutive
~ warp-pick-sequence (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) precipitates
`~ cavities indicated by planchets 186 which are disposed in
rows which are aligned in the ~irection o~ the shute filaments;
15 not bilaterally staggered. Moreover, as used herein the
term "satin weave" is defined as a weave of n-shed wherein
` each filament of one set of filamen~s (e.g., warps or
`~. shutes) alternately crosses over one and under n-l filaments
-~ of the other set of filaments (e.g., shutes or warps), and
20 each filament o the other set of ~ilaments alternately
passes under one and over n-l filaments of the first set of
~ filaments. As illustrated in Figure 7, fabric 180 is a
3 five-shed satin weave whi~h has been woven using a l, 2, 3,
4, 5 warp-pick-sequence~. Fabric 180 comprises warp filaments
181-l through 181-5, and shute filaments I82-1 ~hrough 182-5.
The warps have elongate flat-faced knuckles 183 and the
shutes have oval-shape flat-faced knuckles 184 which knuckles
183 and 18~ are coplanar. The wicker-basket-like cavities
of fabric 180 are covered by planchets 186. These cavities
30 span two warp filaments and no shute ~ilaments; and this
_ fabric has no sub-top-surface knuckles comparable to, for
_ instance, knuckles 195 of fabric l90, Figure 8 as described
more fully beIow. By way of contrast, the cavities of
fabric 190, Figure 8, span two warp filaments and one shute
; 35 filament as lndicated by planchets 196 which span two side-
~ 2~ Z
~ ,. .
- - 12 ~
. . .
by-side sub-top-surface knuckles l9S. Thus, the ~ive-slle~
satin weave fabric 180 (numerically-consecutive warp-pick-
sequence), Figure 71 has no sub-top-surface crossovers
whereas the five-shed satin weave fabric 190 (non-numerically-
., .
consecutive warp-pick-sequence), Figure 8 has sub-top-
surface crossovers 195.
~ .
~ The phrase warp-pick-sequence as used above and
-~ hereinbelow relates to the sequence of m~nipulating the
`` longitudinally ex~ending warp filaments in a loom to weave
10 a fabric as the shuttle is traversed back and forth laying
the shute filaments. If, as in all of the plan-view figures
s of abric pieces included in this application, the warps are
~_ cyclically numbered from left to right so that they are
` numbered in sets of 1 through n for an n shed fabric (e.g.:
warps 181-1 through 181-5 for the S-shed, n=5 fabric shown in
` Figure 7), then warp-pick-sequence refers ~o the order of
`~ displacing the warps downwardly (into-the paper as shown i~
Figure 7) so that the next shute filament passes over the
picked warp and under the other warps. Referring still to
20 Figure 7, shute 132-l was laid while all warps designated
181-1 were picked, and while all warps designated 181-2 through
181-5 were not picked Thus, shute 182-L passes over all
~ warps 181-1 and under all warps 181-2 through ].81-5 as shown
j in Figure 7. Then, warps 181-L are released and warps 18L-2
25 are picked prior to passing the shuttl to lay shute 182-2.
In the same manner 9 warps 181-3 are picked prior to laying
shute 182-3; warps 181-4 are picked prior to laying shute
182-4; and warps 181-5 are~picked prior to laying shute 1~2-S.
; Thus, using only the suffix digits of the warp and shute
30 designators, the warp-pick-sequence to weave fabric 180,
Figure 71 is L, 2, 3, 4, 5 to lay shu~es 1 through S,
. respectively. This is a numerically-consecutive warp-pick-
_ sequence as distinguished from the non~numerically-consecutive
- warp-pick-sequence manifest in fabrics 190, Figure 8, which
fabric has a warp-pic~-sequence of 1, 3, 5, 2, 4. Fabrics
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woven with non-numerically-consecutive warp-pick-sequences
are amenable to being stresse~ and heat treated to provide
coplanar warp and shute crossovers and some recessed sub-
top-surface crossovers as described more fully hereinafter
whereas fabrics woven with numerically consecutive warp-
pick-sequences have no such sub-top-sur~ace (recessed)
crossovers. Also, opposite hand weaves having substantially
similar properties can be formed through the use o a
complementary warp-pick-sequence. For instance, the
complement o~ 1, 3, 5, 2, 4 is 1, 4, 2, 5, 3; and the
complement of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Alternatively,
the complement (opposite hand weave) can in fact be achieved
by numbering the warps from righ~ to left rather than left
to right. That is, a ~abric having its warps cyclically
numbered -1 through -5 from left to right and woven with a
warp-pick-sequence of 1, 3, S, 2, 4 is the complementary
opposite hand weave of a fabric having its warps cyclically
numbered -1 through -S ~rom right to left and woven with the
same warp-pick-sequence of 1, 3, 5, 2, 4,
Figure 8 îs a fragmentary plan view of an imprinting
fabric 190 having four (4) oval-shap~ planchets 196 disposed
thereon. Fabric 190 comprises monofilamen~ ~hermoplastic
warps and shutes; preferably a polyester. The warps and
shutes of fabric 190 are designated warp filaments 191-1
~hrough 191-5, and shute filaments 192-1 through 192 S which
are woven into a 5-shed satin weave using a non-numerically- - -
consecutive 1, 3, 5, 2, 4 warp-pick-sequence. After being
woven, fabric 190 is heat treated under tension to heat set
the filaments i~ the complementary serpentine configurations
shown in the fragmentary sectional views taken along Iines
9-9 and 10-lO of Figure 8 and which views are identiied as
Figures 9 and I0, respectivel~J. A~ter being heat set, the
fabric 190 is subjected to an abrading means to provide
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elongate flat-faced crossovers (knuckles) 193 on tlle warp
filaments ]91-1 through l91-S, and oval shape flat-faced
crossovers (knuckles) 194 on the shute filaments 192-1
through 192-5. The flat-faced crossovers 193 and 194 are
coplanar and are alternately corporately designated top-
surface-plane crossovers. That is, the flat faces of
crossovers 193 and 194 define the top surfac~ plane 197,
Figures 9 and 10, of fabric 190~ The remainder of fabric
190 is disposed below plane 197 and includes sub-top-surface
crossovers (knuckles) 195. Thus, as s~lo~n in Figures 8 and
10, sub-top-surface crossovers 195 are disposed in sub-
arrays of side-by-side pairs and, as shown in Figure 8, each
pair of sub-top-surface crossovers 195 is generally
perimetrically encIosed ~y adjacent portions of f-our warp
. ,-~
~`~ lS crossovers 193 and two shute crossovers 194. Each such
~; n~twork of crossover portions and the intermediate spans o~
filaments form, in the nature o wicker-like baskets, concave
depressions or cavities in which zones of an embryonic paper
- .
~`~ web can be accommodated without substantial compression or
` ~ 20 compaction while the coplanar top-surace crossovers 193 and
:~ 194 are imprinted on the embryonic paper web. In thls
_ manner, uncompressed zones of paper are defined by discontinuous
~i picket-like lineaments wherein the fibers of the paper are
alternately compacted and not compacted. The planchets 196
` 25 are provided in Figure 8 to indicate the plan-view shape of
the above described cavi~ies.
Figure ll is a plan view of a~fragmentary sheet o~
; paper l90x which has had the pattern of flat-face crossovers
193 and 194 of fabric 190, Figure ~, printed (not imprinted)
thereon. The prints of crossovers 193 are designated 193x
`` ~ and ~he prints of crossovers 194 are designated 194x.
Planchets 196x are indicated on Figure 11 to illustrate the
plan view shape of the zones of an embryonic paper web whlch
- would not be substantially compressed by imprinting it with
fabric 190 prior to its final drying and creping. This view
dramatically evidences the~absence of impressions from sub-
top-surface crossovers l9S, Figures 8 and 10.
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` Figure 12 is a plan vie~ of a ~ragmentary piece o~ an
altcrnate embodiment imprinting fabric 200 which is a seven-
.~ shed satin weave which comprises warps 201-l through 201-
; and shutes 202-1 through 202-7, and which fabric has been
1 3 5 7 2 4, 6 warp-pLck-sequence. The
woven wlth a
~ warps and shutes have coplanar Clat-Eace top-sur~ace-piane
knuckles 203 and 204, respectively, and sub-top-surace
knuckles 205. Planchets 206 are provided to indicate ~he
cavities of the fabric 200 which would not substantially
10 ~ ~ Le
`I pattern of fabric 190, Figure 8, substantially complete y
~Y
`~ or co~pacted.
i Fabr ~ 2~0 ~ even ~ sene
= ises warps 211-l:through~211~7 and ~hutes 212-1 through
woven ~i-h
:
2 ~
- 15 -
..
indicate wicker-basket-like cavities which each span a sub-
array of two side-by-side sub-~op-sur~ace knuckles 215; the
same spans as fabric 190, ~igure 8.
Figure 14 is a plan view of a fragmen~ary piece of yet
another alternate imprin~ing fabric 220 embodying the
present inventionO Fabric 220 is an eight-shed satin weave
which comprises warps 221-l ~hrough 221-8 and shutes 222-1
through 222-8, and which fabric has been woven with a la 4,
7, 2, 5, 8, 3, 6 warp-pick-sequence. The warps and shutes
have top-surface-plane knuckles 223 and 224, respectively,
and two-by-two s~lb-arrays of sub-top-surface knuckles 225.
Planchets 226 indicate substantially isotropic wicker-
basket-like cavities which are said to be isotropic because
each spans equal number of warp and shute filaments; two
eacll.
Figure 15 is a plan view of a fragmentary piece of yet
another alternate imprinting fabric 230 embodying the
pxesen~ invention. Fabric 230 is a nine-shed sàtin weave
which comprises warps 231-1 through 231-9 and shutes 232-1
through 232-9, and which fabric has been woven with a 1, 5,
9, 4, g, 3, 7, 2, 6 warp-pick-sequence. The warps and
shutes have coplanar top-surface-plane knuckles 233 and 234,
respectively, and two-by~two sub-arrays of sub-top-surface
knuckles 235. Planchets 236 indicate wicker-basket-like
cavities which each span two warp filaments and one shute
filament; substantially the same size but not as ~losely
spaced as the cavities indicated by planchets 156, 196, and
216 of fabrics 150, 190, and 210 shown in Figures 4, 8, and
13, respectively.
`~30 Additional alternate imprinting fabrics embodying the
present invention could, of course, be provided by reversing
the designations of warps and shutes in the alternate
embodiments described hereinbefore, and/or by taking comple-
mentary warp pick sequences as described hereinbefore:
~'`'``'-'
.
,
. , :, . . ..
z
- 17 -
e-g-~ the complement of warp pick sequence 1, 3, 5, 2, 4 i~
1, 4, 2, 5, 3. These additional alternate er.~bodiments are
neither shown nor described because o~ the undue multiplicity
and prolixity they would entail. Moreover, while all of the
fabric embodiments sho~n and described have coplanar flat
areas on both warp and shute crossovers, and each has been
described in the imprin~ing fabric context, it is not
intended to thereby limit the present lnvention to imprinting
fabrics only or to fabrics having flat-faced crossovers.
Furthermore, while only par~icular embodiments of the
present invention have been illustrated and described, it
would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various
other changes and modifications can be ~ade without d parting
from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it
is intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes
and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
::
,
